


Two Arms To Hold You With

by Sandyclaws68



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Black Paladin Keith, Established Relationship, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Kidge Week 2017, Platonic Kidge, Post Season 2, Pre-Relationship, Romantic Kidge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-14 06:04:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10530423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandyclaws68/pseuds/Sandyclaws68
Summary: Short fics for Kidge Week 2017 ~ Chapter titles = theme for the day





	1. Jealousy

**Author's Note:**

> All seven of these fics are post season 2, so Shiro being missing is hinted at or stated as an outright fact, as well as Keith becoming the Black Lion's pilot.

Pidge stalked out of the team meeting, unreasonably irritated that the automatic door prevented her from slamming it. She was vaguely aware of a voice behind her calling her name but she ignored it, simply intent on getting away. Whatever it was could wait until she felt better able to deal with it. That moment was certainly not ideal, not with so many emotions roiling through her and rising up until she felt like she was about to choke.

“For cripe's sake Pidge, get a grip,” she chastised herself as she leaned against the wall, one hand clenching into a fist. “You're completely over-reacting to something -”

“Pidge! I finally caught up with you!”

She tensed at the closeness of the voice, and also in response to its owner. She made a deliberate effort to relax her clenched fist and took a couple of deep breaths before turning around. “What do you want, Keith?”

He managed to not rear back from her aggressive tone, but only just. “I was. . .” He pushed a hand through his messy hair. “You walked out before the meeting was over, which isn't like you. I was concerned.”

“You needn't be,” she said, turning and beginning to walk away. “I'm fine. And it wasn't like I was needed in that meeting, anyway. You and Allura were doing just -” She all but bit her tongue to stop the rest of the words, not liking how it sounded.

“Pidge. . .”

“Look, can we not have this conversation right now? Or, if we need to have it now can we not have it in a hallway?”

There was a long, drawn out moment of silence before Keith nodded once and walked past Pidge, taking her hand and tugging her along behind him. She thought that they were headed to the quarters of one of them, but Keith simply keyed open the first door they came to and gestured for Pidge to proceed him into the room.

Which turned out to be a storage closet that was barely large enough for the two of them. Meaning there was nowhere to go to get away from Keith's penetrating stare. Nowhere to escape from the warmth of his body where it touched hers. And no chance of avoiding a conversation that she very much did _not_ want to have. When Keith took a deep breath his chest brushed against hers and she quickly crossed her arms in a defensive gesture that did not go unnoticed.

“Okay, so, first of all,” Keith began, voice oddly tentative. Pidge held up a hand to stop him before he got any further.

“No, let me go first.” She inhaled deeply and let out a sigh. “I need to apologize for storming out the way I did. But, in all honesty, I felt like I wasn't needed. You guys were talking about who was going to take over as Red's pilot, after all, and I'm hardly in the running for that job -”

“Wait, what?! How -?”

“Keith. I'm the least experienced of all the pilots available, and that includes Coran. I'm hardly the ideal choice to deal with Red's temperamental nature and her other. . . issues.”

“Pidge.” His hands landed on her shoulders and slid down to her elbows, tugging lightly until she uncrossed her arms. “I understand what you're saying, and to an extent I agree with you. But it might surprise you to know that everyone is in agreement that you are the ideal person to become the Red Lion's new pilot.” A tiny smile made one corner of his mouth twitch.

She couldn't keep her jaw from dropping. “ME?! Why?”

Keith laughed at her incredulous response. “Quite a few reason, actually, but mainly because you have the strongest bond with her after me. She respects everyone else, but it's a bit begrudging.” He reached out with one hand and toyed with the hair by Pidge's ear. “You she loves.”

Pidge actually felt her heart skip a beat, but her contrary nature couldn't let it go. “Emotions aside you know as well as I do that Allura, or even Lance, would do a better job than me. They're better pilots, better fighters, and, well, you certainly seem to have gotten much more comfortable with Allura since -”

A finger touched her lips, halting the words. “Pidge, are you. . .” Keith's voice trailed off before he chuckled softly. “Are you jealous?”

She stepped back away from him as far as she could, which in that confined space wasn't far at all. She wanted to scoff at his suggestion, to laugh it off, but she couldn't. It was uncomfortably close to the truth, and as a result she was unable to meet his eyes. “Stop it,” she mumbled.

The hand that had been playing with her hair was back, only this time the fingers sank into the light brown waves and guided her head so she was looking up and into Keith's eyes again. “That is so cute,” he softly said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “But unnecessary, as you damn well know. There's never been anyone else for me, not from the moment we first formed Voltron.” He crooked a finger under her chin, bringing their lips closer together. “Sword and shield, remember? You can't have one without the other.”

“Even now that you're piloting the Black Lion?” Pidge asked.

“Even now. And for always,” was the whispered reply before their lips came together.


	2. Loss

The atmosphere in the castle certainly didn't feel like they had won a resounding victory. Once the panic that had followed the discovery of Shiro's disappearance had subsided everyone had gone back to their regular duties. Everyone was trying to carry on as normally as possible.

For Pidge that meant tinkering with the Lions, and her emotional turmoil drew her to the Black Lion's hanger. She entered slowly, feeling overwhelmed and overawed by the immensity of the space, especially in contrast to her own hanger. But she wanted to get a look at Black's system and data logs in case there was any clue there as to how Shiro had vanished.

She was halfway across the enormous space, wondering how she would get the Lion to respond to her without Shiro at her side, when she heard a clattering sound coming from the direction of the alcove where the tool bench sat. The lights were off in that area, so she had to squint to even attempt to see anything. Luck was with her, though, when she heard an unmistakable sniffle and recognized the voice.

“Keith?”

There was a gasp and then another clatter, quickly followed by a few choice swear words. Pidge hurried over to the alcove, making sure to activate the lights as she moved. When they came on she saw Keith huddled on the ground in front of the workbench, tools scattered around him. He looked miserable. “What are you doing in here?” she asked, hoping that her voice sounded light and not at all accusatory.

“I was. . . Well. . . I wanted to talk with Black a bit, since. . . You know.”

 _No, I don't know_ , Pidge thought to herself as she sat beside the Red Paladin. She didn't say a word, fairly certain her expression was enough of a question. The answer she got, though, was totally unexpected.

“When we were on that planet – the one we crashed on from the wormhole – Shiro told me that if anything ever happened to him he wanted me to lead Voltron in his place,” Keith explained, voice catching occasionally. “I flew Black that day, briefly, but that was different from what might have to happen now, because -”

The catch in his voice that time sounded suspiciously like a sob, and Pidge didn't even think, she just reacted. She shifted where she sat until she was able to wrap both arms around Keith, pulling his head down to her shoulder. “It's all right,” she soothed, rubbing circles on his back as he cried silently against her. “Everything's going to be fine.”

The head buried in the curve of her shoulder shook, and she barely made out the muffled words. “No. I can't. It's. . .”

Pidge sank her fingers into blue-black hair and pulled Keith away enough to meet his teary, red-eyed gaze. “It's nothing, and you can,” she forcefully said, doing her best to swallow back her own tears. “You _can_ lead, and we'll follow.” She snorted a half-laugh. “Even Lance.”

Keith closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “No, not that,” he managed to say. “I can't lose him. I just can't.”

Unable to hold back her tears any longer Pidge threw herself against Keith and hugged him that much tighter. She knew, better than anyone in the Castle, what it felt like to lose a brother, to not know when, if ever, you might see him again. Seeming to realize how his words had impacted her Keith took on the role of comforter, whispering nonsense into her hair as he stroked her back.

“I'm sorry, Pidge,” he finally said when she was calm enough to hear him. “I shouldn't have -”

She gave her head a determined shake. “No, you did nothing wrong. I guess -” She sighed deeply before continuing. “It all just hit me at once right then, but I'll be okay. You?”

Keith's half-hearted smile was oddly reassuring. “I don't know if I'm good right now, but like you I will be.” The smile grew. “We can't afford to break down, right?”

“Absolutely.” Pidge rose to her feet and extended a hand, helping Keith stand. “In the meantime you can help me check Black's system logs and do some routine post-flight maintenance. It's a good start to the bonding process.”

They walked across the hanger and stood looking up at the enormous Lion towering above them. As the moment stretched out Pidge could feel both Keith and Black inside her mind, feeling their way through the newness of their bond. Then the Lion shifted her front paws and lowered her head so they could climb up the ramp and into the cockpit., a soft purr rumbling through her as Pidge ran a hand lovingly along one wall. Keith did the same on the opposite side, and they both laughed at the almost huffy snort that came from the Lion.

“I think that's her way of saying that you may not be as good as Shiro, but you'll do,” Pidge commented with a laugh. She slid her hand into Keith's and entwined their fingers, giving his a quick squeeze. “And for the record I think you'll do as well.”

Keith felt himself smiling for the first time in what might have been days. “Well, with the support of you two how could I possibly fail!” He used their joined hands to pull Pidge in closer and rested his head on hers for a brief moment. “Thank you, Katie.”

Widened eyes and a soft smile were Pidge's only response.


	3. Change

It was the crashing sound of something breaking that first caught Pidge's attention. It wasn't a normal thing to hear in the part of the Castle where they all had their quarters, so she quickly moved to investigate. It was only when she turned a corner to the hallway where the guys had their rooms that she pinpointed where the sound was coming from and frowned.

Whatever was happening was in Keith's room.

She paused outside the door, knowing that the Red Paladin would not appreciate any unwarranted interference. But then there was the sound of glass shattering, and a gasp of pain, and Pidge ignored her instincts and opened the door and rushed inside. When she saw what was going on she sucked in a breath.

Keith stood just inside the door, surrounded by the detritus of what had been his sleeping quarters. The bedding was scattered all over the place, torn pillows leaking bits of foam and the feathers of some unknown Altean animal. And in the middle of it all was the glass from the water pitcher kept on the bedside table and Keith with blood dripping from a slash across his palm.

With no hesitation Pidge grabbed one corner of a bed sheet and wrapped the fabric around Keith's hand, ignoring his pained grunt when she applied pressure to the bleeding wound. Over a minute ticked by as they stood together, his hand cradled in hers. When she lifted the material the bleeding had stopped. “Where are your first aid supplies?” she quietly asked.

Keith jerked his head towards a cabinet against the far wall and moved toward it with Pidge as she refused to release his hand. He stood passively by as she gathered the supplies that would be needed to tend to his hand.

“This is probably going to hurt,” Pidge said as she held up a bottle of disinfectant spray.

“Just do it,” Keith gritted out between his clenched teeth.

It did hurt, but the worst of it was soon over and the cut was cleaned and bandaged in record time. Once she was done Pidge pushed him to sit on the bed before taking a step back to glare down at him. Then. . .

“What the HELL, Keith?!” she exclaimed, smacking the back of his head. “You just. . . I mean. . . UGH!” She scrubbed her hands down her face and collapsed on the bed, making sure to sit on the side of his uninjured hand.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “I'm sorry,” he repeated as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

“Just tell me why.”

Keith sighed. “I. . . I can't -” His arm slipped off her shoulder as he got to his feet and started to pace. “Everything got a little overwhelming right then and I had to, well, let a little frustration out.” He let out a harsh, self-deprecating laugh. “I'm not handling all the changes very well.” Pidge's eyebrows went up and he shook his head. “I've been hiding it pretty effectively, for the sake of the team, but I can't any longer.” He sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The Black Lion. . . She respects me as a pilot and I know she'd never say anything, but I can't help but feel so damned inadequate compared to -”

A finger on his lips cut him off. “Don't you dare finish that sentence,” Pidge growled, now on her feet and standing in front of Keith, crowding into his space. “We all – Lions and Paladins – respect you as a pilot and as a leader. You are _not_ inadequate.” She exhaled gustily and took a step back, her finger sliding down his lips til her hand dropped at her side. “And I know it's hard; we're all having some sort of trouble adjusting but change is inevitable and can't be undone.”

“I know that.” Pidge scoffed and Keith glared halfheartedly at her. “I do, but. . .” He took her hands in his carefully, to avoid jarring his injury. “You and I have endured the most disruption in all of this.” He leaned down so their foreheads touched. “It can't be any easier for you than it is for me.”

Pidge shook her head. “Of course it's difficult,” she said. “I don't feel much more comfortable with Red than you do with Black, but as long as we have each other – for support and for comfort – we'll get through this.” She sighed. “Don't give up or in, Keith.” Her hands lifted and came to rest on either side of his face, fingers lacing in his hair. “Stay with me, and I'll stay with you.”

“Always?”

“Always. That's one thing that'll never change.”


	4. Crush

“Do I even want to know why you're trying to hide in a laundry bin?”

A hand snaked out of the bin and caught Keith by the wrist, tugging him down and into the mass of dirty towels and bedclothes. He hit the bottom of the bin with a muffled _Oomph!_ and felt the hand leave his wrist and cover his mouth. “Shhhh!” Pidge hissed. “You'll give the game away!”

Keith did his best to glare at her over the hand on his mouth, waiting until it was removed. “Anything I could say won't make it worse,” he whispered. “It's a wonder you haven't been caught already, considering your crappy stealth skills.” He glanced around at their surroundings and shoved aside a towel that smelled like Lance's favorite moisturizer. “What are you doing in here anyway?”

She grinned. “Spying on Hunk and Shay,” was the reply. “Waiting to see if either of them is willing to admit to the crush they have on the other.”

“Are you serious?” Keith asked with a roll of his eyes. “Don't you have anything better to do?”

“Not if I want to improve my 'crappy stealth skills'.” Pidge shifted up on her knees in order to peek over the lip of the bin. A moment passed in silence as she watched, breath held. “Dammit, I was sure they were headed this way!” she finally burst out.

Keith pulled his lower lip between his teeth to keep a laugh from escaping. He'd be willing to bet almost anything that Hunk and Shay had detoured to the lab/workshop that he shared with Pidge in order to show off some of his latest inventions. In which case Pidge's stalking attempts were more than likely doomed to failure. But on the other hand. . .

“We could try and track them down,” he suggested. “I mean, if you're serious about wanting to improve your surveillance and stealth.”

Pidge's eyes lit up as she grabbed his hand and vaulted out of the laundry bin, tugging Keith behind her. He winced in pain when his elbow made contact with the wall but managed to scramble out of the laundry to stand beside her. They paused for a moment to get their bearings before Pidge set off in the direction of the kitchen.

They had barely gone a few yards when they heard voices, one of which was undeniably Hunk's. Pidge froze in place as panic raced across her features but Keith didn't hesitate. He keyed open the nearest door, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the storage closet with him. The door slid shut just as the Yellow Paladin's and the Balmeran's footsteps came down the corridor. They were talking rapidly and excitedly, but nothing in the conversation gave any hints about crushes or any other feelings. The last thing they heard was Hunk saying “Hmm, I thought for sure Pidge would have been hiding in this laundry bin.” and Shay's chuckle in response.

Keith grinned when he heard Pidge's exasperated huff but it was too dark in the closet to see it. It was too dark to see anything, in fact, and when he moved one of his hands in an effort to find a light switch he brushed up against something warm and round that a part of his brain registered as one of her breasts. The rest of his brain immediately melted under the sudden burn of embarrassment.

“Oh hell, oh shit, oh _fuck_! Pidge, I am so, so, sooooooo sorry.”

Her laugh was soft and warm. “It's not a big deal, Keith. Considering the lack of space in here -” She moved the tiniest bit and one of her elbows jabbed him in the stomach. “ - it was obviously an accident. Now, if I was stuck in here with Lance it might be a different story.”

 _That was certainly true_ , Keith thought to himself. “Are you sure it's okay? That you're not mad?” is what he said out loud.

“It's fine. Seriously!” Cloth rustled as Pidge shifted where she stood and suddenly they were facing each other and pressed together from shoulders to hips. “If I minded I would have said something, I promise.”

Keith was convinced that the blush on his face should have lit up the space. “I. . . Is. . . Is there something you want to tell me?” he managed to stammer out as one of his hands came to rest on the inward curve of Pidge's waist.

“Like what?” she whispered, her breath ghosting across his cheek. “Like, maybe. . .” Her lips brushed a spot below his ear and he almost jumped out of his skin. “A crush?”

Keith's laugh was weak. “I thought this was all about Shay and Hunk having crushes,” he tried to joke.

Pidge made a noise of agreement and the sound made his entire body hum. “The thing about the word 'crush', though, is that it can apply to so many things,” she said. “And to so many people.” She lifted and tilted her head, the action bringing their lips closer together. “Maybe even to one more person than either of us thought?”

“Maybe?” Keith asked before kissing her.

“Definitely,” they breathed out in unison once the kiss ended.


	5. Growth

Pidge managed to stay on her feet after the battle drone deactivated, but it was close. The staff she had been fighting with dropped to the floor of the training deck with a clatter, and her knees would have followed if Keith hadn't walked through the door at that moment. He was across the room in the blink of an eye, catching her close before lowering her gently to sit on the floor.

“Easy, Pidge,” he said as he sat beside her. “What are you doing working yourself to exhaustion? I mean, I expect it of you in the lab but not in training.” He grinned. “That's more my style.”

Pidge's laugh was weak, but it was there. “I'm not trying to steal your crown, just so you know. But I need to improve my hand-to-hand combat skills.” She huffed out a breath. “I can't keep being a strictly defensive fighter and expecting you guys to protect me.” She pushed a hand through her hair, grimacing at the greasy, sweat-soaked sensation. “I mean, it's different when we're in our Lions or as Voltron, obviously I can take care of myself in those circumstances.” She rubbed a spot on the floor with one finger. “But I keep thinking about times I might have been more useful if I could just fight better, and. . . Well, here I am.”

Keith made an affirmative noise in his throat as he glanced toward where the staff had fallen. “Pidge?” he asked as he rose to his feet and picked it up. “Why were you fighting with a full length staff instead of one of the shorter ones?”

The blush that rose on her cheeks was as much anger as it was embarrassment. “Because the shorter ones are designed for children, and I'm not a damned child!” she almost shouted. “It's been nearly two years; I've grown up, for pity's sake!”

Keith bit down on his lower lip, knowing that to laugh at that moment would put his life in danger. But some facts were undeniable. “Pidge,” he coughed out, still struggling to keep his laughter contained. “You've grown an inch. Barely. And this has nothing to do with your maturity or even your will. The shorter staffs are meant for smaller people, and I'm afraid you still qualify.”

“Like you're one to talk! Your growth has all been in your hair!”

His hand immediately jumped to the back of his neck where his hair had, indeed, gotten a little out of hand. Pidge's smirk proved that she knew what he was thinking, so he immediately dropped his hand and rummaged in one of his jacket pockets, searching for the elastic hair tie that Hunk had managed to fabricate out of food goo and some flexible wiring from one of the pods. Once he had hold of it he scraped back all of the longest sections of his hair and pulled them together into a tight ponytail. “Better?” he asked Pidge, sarcasm audible in that one word.

“Hmmm,” she hummed, noncommittal. “I hesitate to offer an opinion one way or another.” Pidge stood and grabbed the staff out of Keith's hand. “How about a wager?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

Keith's only reaction was a slow blink. “What kind of wager?” he finally queried.

“A spar. If I win you admit that I can handle the full length staff -” She emphasized the words by rapping the staff on the floor. “Aaaaand. . .”

“And what?” Keith started to look worried.

“You cut your hair,” Pidge announced, smile full of mischief. When his hand jumped straight to his ponytail Pidge laughed. “Concerned?”

He glared at her for a moment before crossing the room to activate the control panel. A compartment in the floor opened and another staff rose into view. Keith grasped hold of it and turned back to Pidge. “What do I get if I win?” he asked, twirling the staff behind his back in a blur of motion.

A delicate pink blush rose on her cheeks and his motion faltered for a moment. “What. . . What do you want?” she finally asked, the color on her face intensifying.

“A kiss,” Keith blurted out without thinking. His face flamed red immediately after. “I uh. . . I mean. . .” The hand not holding the staff covered his face, and a muffled _Shit!_ Came out of his mouth. When he felt a hand cover his where it was gripping the weapon he peaked out between his fingers; Pidge was standing much closer than before.

“You, umm, don't need to beat me in a spar for that,” she whispered, flushing a deeper shade of pink. “Just, you know, for the record. I mean -”

Her words broke off when his hand brushed against her cheek. Their eyes locked and everything seemed to move in slow motion as Keith leaned closer. Pidge's eyes fluttered shut in the breathless moment before his lips touched hers.

Countless moments later they broke apart, breathing faster. Pidge blinked rapidly a few times before focusing on Keith's face above hers, his eyes intensely blue. She shifted on her feet, becoming aware of his arms around her waist, and smiled. “You don't need to cut your hair,” she softly said, sliding a hand to the back of his neck and toying with the ponytail. “Ever. I like it like this.”

Keith laughed gently, leaning close until their foreheads touched. “Thanks,” he whispered, grinning when she shivered at the sensation of his breath caressing her cheek. “And for the record I think you've grown more than an inch.”


	6. Storm

“Why do we always get these assignments?” Pidge asked, wrapping her arms tighter around her waist. The long cloak she was wearing flapped around her legs as the wind picked up, and she shivered in response. “Snow! Snow, for pity's sake!”

Keith laughed as he tugged his own cloak closer around his chest. “Well, you can't expect Hunk and Lance – both of whom are children of the tropics – to deal with this.”

Pidge scowled. “I grew up in the desert. A _warm_ desert.” She huffed out a breath. “Why are we here, again?”

“Some mineral found in the caves near here,” Keith replied, checking the data screen on his gauntlet. “Umm, baxetrite. Supposed to be necessary so the Lions can move properly. Like grease in a car's lube points.” He turned around, orientating himself with the mapping function in the glove. “Assuming the data Coran uploaded is correct what we need is about half a mile. . .” He turned again, a little less than ninety degrees. “That way,” he concluded, pointing.

The noise of disgust that came from Pidge was more eloquent than any words.

The snow was falling much faster, and thicker, by the time they arrived at the cave in question. It had gotten harder and harder to see as they made their way across the landscape, and Pidge was thankful that Keith had taken the lead, his body blocking most of the strong winds. In unspoken agreement they sprinted the last few yards, all but falling into the shelter of the cave.

Pidge sighed in relief as she pushed the hood of her cloak away from her face. “Now what?” she asked as soon as she caught her breath.

“We look for this,” was the response as Keith turned the data screen so she could see it. It showed a picture of some lumpy rocks, with yellowish specks.

“Huh, looks like pyrite.”

 

Keith laughed. “For all we know it is pyrite, just with a different name. But the information also says it should be soft enough to press a fingernail into, so that's how you test to see if you have the right stuff.” He pressed a button on his gauntlet and the screen disappeared. “You cover that side and I'll take care of this. It shouldn't take us too long.”

He was right about that; in less than a half an hour they had two full sacks of the baxetrite and were ready to leave. That turned out to be easier said than done, though, as Pidge discovered when she approached the mouth of the cave.

“Keith? I think we have a bit of a problem.”

“What is -” His words were cut off when he looked outside, at the now howling blizzard and veritable white out. “Shit!” he exclaimed. “And of course we came here in a pod instead of one of the Lions!”

“Relax,” Pidge commented, laying a hand on his arm. “I have a remote system that I can use to call the pod. Just give me a second. . .” She pulled up the data screen from her gauntlet and typed in a few commands. “Just. . .” She frowned and swiped through a couple of screens. “Shit.”

“What?”

“The storm is interfering with the remote operating system,” Pidge replied. “I can't call the pod.”

“So we're stuck here.”

“For the foreseeable future, yes.” Pidge looked around the cave. “This is. . . Well, not the best situation, is it?”

Keith shook his head then held out a hand. “Give me the bag,” he said, and when Pidge handed it over he maneuvered both sacks of baxetrite until they covered at least eighty per cent of the cave's mouth. “That should help some,” he declared with a firm nod.

And it did, a little. It blocked the vast majority of the wind and prevented the worst of the snow from getting inside. But it didn't change the worst part of the situation.

“I've got a couple of protein bars in my pack, but we don't have any water. Well, not counting the snow.” She moved to the wall of the cave farthest from the entrance and sat down. “And I'm just gonna take a wild guess that baxetrite isn't flammable, so we can't build a fire.”

Keith nodded before crossing the space to sit beside Pidge. “Just keep your remote system open, so as soon as the interference ends the pod can respond.”

She grinned. “Already done, boss.” She shifted slightly and unhooked her cloak, spreading it so it provided a softer surface for both of them. Keith watched her and took the hint, opening his cloak as well and then holding out an arm, waiting for her to move closer to him before wrapping them both up in what warmth they had while they waited out the storm.


	7. Warmth

“I hate being separated from the others, “ Pidge said, eyes not moving from the holoscreen in front of her.

“I'm not exactly fond of it either, but we're just going to have to wait until this solar storm lets up a little,” Keith put in, scanning the read-out on the control panel. “It's just dumb luck that we got caught up in it.”

Pidge laughed. “More or less. But the good news is the new, long-range sensors are working without a hitch. One of my better jobs, if I do say so myself.”

“Modest as always.”

“Hey, the first time you pick up some Galra activity while you're still out of range of their sensors you'll thank me,” Pidge huffed, but with a smile that was audible.

“And this had to be tested on my Lion because. . .?”

“Because she's the fastest, of course.” Keith could see the eyeroll when he glanced Pidge's way. “In case it didn't work as well as I hoped and we got caught out Red had the best chance of getting away. Allura has already said she wants the new sensors fitted on both of our Lions, since they have the necessary speed.”

Keith grinned. “That'll please Lance to no end.”

“Yeah, well, neither of us has that awesome sonar trick that Blue can pull, so he needs to get over it. Besides,” she continued, shutting down the holoscreen and rising to her feet, “he won't argue if we're able to use this to find Shiro.” The last words were spoken in a whisper.

Keith swallowed hard and was about to respond when a high pitched humming – like electronic feedback – passed through the communicators in their helmets. Pidge gasped and quickly pulled her helmet off, shaking her head to clear it. Keith reacted a little slower but also removed his headgear, cupping one hand over an ear as if to push the echo of the noise out of his head.

“I think that storm is getting worse,” Pidge finally said, checking the data from the sensors. “We might be -” The lights in the cockpit suddenly flickered, causing both of them to look up in alarm. “ - stuck here longer than expected.”

With a hum of agreement Keith worked the control panel, and one by one Red's non-essential systems were shut down. “I think it's a good idea to have as much power as possible funneled into the force field,” he said as the lights went off completely. “We don't know how bad this might get and I'd rather not find out the hard way.”

There was enough ambient light from the stars and solar flares outside the Lion to see by, but only just barely. Pidge decided to err on the side of caution and sat against the wall behind the pilot's chair, pulling her knees in close to her chest. It didn't take very long for Keith to join her.

“It's pretty boring sitting in that chair when there's nothing to do,” he explained. His knee brushed against Pidge's leg as he sat, legs crossed and neatly folded hands in his lap. “You, umm, you said something about using this long-range sensor to find Shiro,” Keith whispered after a long silence, his voice cracking on the last word. “How?”

“It's calibrated for Galra technology,” Pidge replied, voice just as soft. “I'm hoping that with a little more research and some help from our Blade friends I'll be able to refine it even more so that it can focus on the biological and technological combo that is Shiro's arm.” She sniffed a little bit and then shivered. “It's getting cold.”

“Yeah, I turned the temperature controls down to their minimum life support level.” Keith slid across the floor and opened a storage bin on the other side of the cockpit, pulling out a blanket. He got it wrapped around himself and then held out an arm.

Pidge took the hint and snuggled into his side, sighing as his arm brought the blanket around her back and a hand settled on her shoulder. “Do you always keep a blanket in your Lion? It's not really a standard emergency supply, is it?”

Keith smiled slightly and tightened his hold. “Not standard, no, but I figured it couldn't hurt.” Red shook as a particularly strong flare from the storm lashed them. “I have all the regular stuff as well – food and water packs – in case we're stuck for a little too long.” He looked down at the top of Pidge's head. “Are you hungry?”

She shook her head. “No, just kind of tired. I. . . I haven't been sleeping well since -”

“Me neither.”

Minutes went by with no sound except their breathing and the noise of the storm passing them by. Then, just when Keith thought she had fallen asleep, Pidge spoke again.

“You're really warm,” she whispered, tucking her head more securely under his chin and sliding an arm around his waist.

He laughed weakly. “I think it's the Galra influence. As far as I've been able to discover they have a higher body temperature than humans.”

“It's nice,” Pidge said, voice trailing away. “I like it.”

She definitely fell asleep then; Keith could feel the deep, even rhythm of her breathing where she was pressed against his side. It was relaxing, and it wasn't very long before he dozed off as well, head leaning to one side and his nose sinking into soft, honey brown hair.

And if his lips also made contact with that hair, well, that was nobody's business but theirs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Chapters 6 & 7 are interchangeable. :D


End file.
